Separation device

ABSTRACT

A separating device comprising an assembly of sloping passages, in which components of a liquid moving through this assembly are separated therefrom, which components are separately removed at an extremity of this assembly. This assembly is composed of tubes, troughs or corrugated plates delimiting sets of plural passages connected by narrower channels, the liquid to be treated being supplied to one passage, and the separated components passing through a connected channel into another passage, from which it may be removed out of contact with the liquid. Special guiding partitions may be arranged at a discharge end of such an assembly for suppressing turbulences.

I United States Patent 1151 3,666,1 1 2 Pielkenrood et al. 1 May 30, 1972 541 SEPARATION DEVICE 2,673,451 3/1954 Gariel ..210/521 x Inventors: Jacob Pielkenrood; wmem L. B. 2,861,692 11/1958 Humphreys ..210/52l brosius, both of Krommenie, Netherlands FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 Assigneer fi l g g- Assendelfl, 746,980 3/1956 Great Britain ..210/521 e er an s 22 il June 18 970 Primary Examiner-J. L. De Cesare Attorney-Bayard H. Michael [21 Appl. No.: 47,576

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data A separating device comprising an assembly of sloping June 8 1969 Netherlands 6 909 974 passages, in which components of a liquid moving through this Au 1969 Netherland l'882 assembly are separated therefrom, which components are 1969 Neth e r] a n 1883 separately removed at an extremity of this assembly. This assembly is composed of tubes, troughs or corrugated plates delimiting sets of plural passages connected by narrower chan- CCll nels, the liquid to be treated being pp to one p g [58] Field "5 522 and the separated components passing through a connected channel into another passage, from which it may be removed out of contact with the liquid. Special guiding partitions may [56] Reterences cued be arranged at a discharge end of such an assembly for sup- UNITED STATES PATENTS Pressing turbulences- 2,497,392 2/1950 Breukel 210/521 14 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures SEPARATION DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a separating device for separating components of a suspension of similar liquid, comprising substantially parallel passages for dividing the liquid into partial flows in which separation may take place, the separated components leaving these passages in the same or opposite sense.

The known devices of this kind generally comprise parallel corrugated plates with superposed tops and valleys defining the separation passages. Heavier components of a liquid flowing in these passages will precipitate into the valleys, and lighter components will be collected in the tops. These corrugations have, in general, a relatively small height, and the connections between tops and valleys of the passages have, then, a large width.

An unfavorable consequence of the latter circumstance is that the contact surface between the flowing liquid and the separated components is rather large, so that turbulences may develop at this interface causing remixing of these components with the carrier liquid, which may seriously impair the separation effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide a separating device of this kind having a better separation effect.

This device is characterized by an assembly of two or more sets of substantially tubular separating passages, the corresponding passages of different sets lying at a different height, and by connecting passages with a cross-section which is smaller than the cross-section of the tubular passages of the various sets, these connecting passages each connecting two separation passages of different sets.

The narrower connecting passages reduce the contact surface between the liquid and a separated component, and, especially in the case of a sediment, have a squeezing effect on the separated component, promoting the removal of residual carrier liquid from this component.

The passages may be delimited by tubes, troughs or corrugated plates of various shapes. Furthermore guiding partitions may be used at the extremities of the separation assembly for keeping the separated components out of contact with the carrier liquid, and preventing turbulences causing remixing of the components with the liquid.

By varying the cross-section and/or distance between the bordering surfaces of the passages, it is possible to improve the separation effect. Furthermore it is possible to construct assemblies with rotational symmetry by using suitable shaped tubes, troughs or plates, providing a higher yield within a restricted space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 2 show partial cross-sections of separating assemblies according to the invention, consisting of tubes;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section on a larger scale of a number of adjacent tubes of a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a partial cross-section of another embodiment consisting of corrugated plates;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show perspective views of support means for the embodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows a diagrammatic view of a device for manufacturing the corrugated plates of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 shows a partial cross-section of another embodiment with plurally corrugated plates;

FIG. 9 and 10 show perspective views of still another embodiment consisting of open troughs;

FIG. 11 shows a cross-section of the device according to the invention with rotational symmetry;

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of troughs of a separation assembly for the device of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13 and 14 partial end views of an assembly of FIG. 12; and

LII

FIGS. 15 21 show schematical end views of assemblies of differently shaped corrugated plates, troughs or tubes, and sloping guiding partitions at an extremity of such an assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following some embodiments of a separation device according to the invention will be described, and, more specifically, a device for separating a heavy component from a suspension.

The separation assembly of FIG. 1 comprises groups of superposed parallel tubes 1 and 2 alternately arranged in vertical rows, the lower side of a tube 1 being connected with the upper side of the next tube 2 by means of a narrower connecting passage. The liquid to be treated is supplied to the tubes 1, and the precipitating component may sink through the passages 3 into the tubes 2, so that this component is continuously removed from the separation region, and is no longer exposed to turbulences in the liquid flow. In the narrow passages 3 the sediment is made denser, so that the residual carrier liquid is expelled therefrom to a large extent.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 works in the same manner, but allows a better utilization of the available space, and the liquid supply to the passages l and the sediment discharge from the passages 2 is simplified, since the tubes 2 are now arranged in separate vertical rows and are staggered between the tubes 1. Each tube 1 is now connected with two adjacent tubes 2.

Between two connecting passages 3 of FIG. 2 a lower portion of the tube 1 forms a pocket, where sediment may be collected. As shown in FIG. 3 such pockets may be avoided. For a still better space utilization also polygonal tubes may be used.

The embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 require, however, rather much welding or glueing labor. The profile of FIG. 3 may, however, be approximated, as shown in FIG. 4, by superposed parallel corrugated plates 4. These plates differ from the usual corrugated plates for these purposes in that their form deviates from a flat sine curve or saw-tooth form. The tops 5 and the valleys 6 are parts of cylindrical surfaces with, for instance, a circular cross-section, and the connecting portions 7 are rather steep tangential planes to these surfaces. Also plates with a polygonal cross-section may be used, if only the passage between two tops or valleys is substantially wider than between the connecting portions. The latter portions may be left out, and the cylindrical parts are then directly connected to one another.

The cross-sectional area of the various passages may be varied by changing the distance between the plates, the ratio between the cross-sections of the passages between tops or valleys and of the connecting passages also changing as a consequence of the steepness of the connecting portions 7. It is also possible to change the distance between the successive tops or valleys without changing the height and curvature.

Since the connecting portions are very steep, they cannot be supported by notched partitions engaging the intermediate portions 7 as is done in the usual separation devices. According to the invention, the tops 5 or valleys 6 are provided with a projecting lip 8, and are supported by vertical supports 9 positioned about halfway between adjacent tops and valleys and provided with projecting teeth 10 on which the lips 8 may be supported, the flow cross-section in the passages in question being hardly reduced, since in the connecting passages 3 no longitudinal flow occurs. For the same purpose lugs 11 according to FIG. 6 may be used, which may be inserted into holes 12 of vertical guiding partitions 13. If necessary the lips 8 may be extended for guiding the flow and suppressing turbulences.

FIG. 7 shows the manner in which the plates of FIG. 4 may be manufactured by deforming a sheet 14 of a deformable material, such as a softened plastics material, which is pressed by means of two tool halves l5 and 16, each comprising a set of cylindrical die bodies 17 in mutually staggered relationship,

the curvature of which corresponds with the desired curvature of the corrugations to be formed.

For separating a component which is lighter than the carrier liquid, the task of the different passages should be reversed. For separating light as well as heavy components, the first ones may, for instance, be separated in the passages 1. It is also possible to use three sets of passages as shown in FIG. 8, in which plurally corrugated plates 4' are used delimiting passages 1', connected by connecting passages 3 and 3' to a lower passage 2 and an upper passage 2 respectively. FIGS. 9 and 10 show corresponding devices consisting of troughs 18 and 19 with semicircular or polygonal cross-section, which are supported with overlapping edges as shown, so that, apart from the passages 1 and 2 and the connecting passages 3, narrow slits 20 remain open between the overlapping edges of adjacent troughs 18 and 19, in which distance lugs 21 may be provided if necessary. The lugs 21 may be combined to a unit made of plastics, or may be fixed beforehand to the troughs 18 or 19.

The carrier liquid which is expelled from the sediment in the lower passages 2 may pass into the upper passages 1 through these slits 20, which enhances the concentration of the sediment. An advantage of such a trough assembly is, that, depending on the flow rates to be expected in the passages 1 or 2 respectively, troughs 18 and 19 with a different diameter may be used.

The troughs 18 and 19 of FIG. 10 have a frusto-conical shape, and the troughs 18 with downward curvature used for removing the sediment are widest at the entry and narrowest at the exit end of the liquid to be treated, so that the cross-section of the passages 2 increases in the sense of flow of the sediment. The other troughs 19 have an opposite conicity, so that the cross-section of the liquid passages increases in the flow sense, the flow rate thereof decreasing accordingly, which enhances the precipitation of the finest components which insufficiently precipitate at the beginning of the separation assembly. The same effect may be obtained with corrugated plates or tubes having a corresponding configuration.

The distance between the superposed troughs or plates or the diameter of the tubes may be gradually reduced in the sense of liquid flow, in order to reduce the precipitation path length and thus improving the prepitation effect at the end of the passages. However the cross-section will then be reduced and the flow rate increased, so that it is advisable to increase the width of the passages 1, for instance by using lower troughs 19 having a smaller conicity angle than the upper troughs 18, the complete assembly, thus, obtaining in the sense of liquid flow a fan-like widening and an according reduction of height.

FIGS. 1 1 14 show a special embodiment of such an assembly in a device with rotational symmetry for precipitating a heavy component. As shown in FIG. 12 the upper troughs 18 are diverging, and the lower troughs 19 are substantially cylindrical, but also conically diverging or converging troughs 19 may be used. As appears from FIG. 11, the troughs 18 and 19 are arranged on conical surfaces.

The assembly 22 of such troughs having a vertical axis of symmetry 23 is positioned in an tank 24, which by means of a cylindrical partition is divided into a supply chamber 26 and a discharge chamber 27, the lower side of the supply chamber joining a sedimentation chamber 28. This device operates in the same manner as the usual separation devices with a retangular cross-section.

At the lower end of the assembly 22 sediment guiding channels delimited by guiding partitions 29 may be provided as shown in FIG. 14, which are connected with the lower troughs 19 and may be closed by sloping plates 30 (FIG. 11) in order to suppress turbulences. The plates 30 may be extended by a frusto-conical partition 31 which is immersed in the sediment in the chamber 28 to provide a lock.

The assembly 22 is delimited by two coaxial cylinders. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the shape of the troughs at the outer and inner cylinders respectively, from which it appears, that the cross-section of the passages 1 between the troughs 18 remains substantially constant as the vertical distance decreases. If necessary the troughs 19 may be diverging towards their lower end.

Such assemblies may also comprise corrugated plates or tubes, and may consist of sector-shaped subassemblies which are more easily being manufactured and handled. For a device for separating lighter components the assembly 22 should have an opposite slope in respect of the sense of liquid flow, for instance by using the chamber 27 as the supply chamber, or by using an assembly 22 having a downward slope from the central axis.

ln many cases it may be useful to arrange the passages l and 2 in such manner that a series of corresponding passages 1 or 2 at an end of the separation assembly may be interconnected by sloping channels delimited by guiding partitions. The separated components leaving those passages will then be guided more gradually downward or upward as the case may be, so that a substantially laminar flow of these components towards a collecting chamber without turbulences causing remixing with the carrier liquid will be obtained.

FIGS. 15 21 show a number of possibilities for arranging sloping partitions 32, corresponding with the partitions 29 of FIG. 11, and delimiting alternating channels 33 and 34 interconnecting a set of passages 1 or 2 resp., which channels may be closed by transverse plates as in the case of FIG. 11. The passages 1 and 2 are delimited by corrugated plates (FIGS. 15, 16, 18 and 20), troughs (FIG. 17) or tubes (FIGS. 19 and 20) as described above. The corrugated plates of FIG. 18 and 20 have a polygonal shape, the plates of FIG. 18 being substantially horizontal and those of FIG. 20 vertical, providing a honeycomb-like configuration with double cells 35 as indicated with heavy contours in FIGS. 18 and 20.

It will be obvious that within the scope of the present disclosure many modifications are possible.

We claim:

1. A device for separating heavier and lighter components of a mixture of substances including a carrier liquid comprising:

a separation basin having a supply chamber into which the mixture to be separated is introduced and a discharge chamber separated from said supply chamber for collecting the lighter portion separated from said mixture; and

at least one separation assembly, positioned in said basin between said supply chamber and said discharge chamber, through which said mixture flows to separate said components, said separation assembly including means defining at least one set of generally tubular and substantially parallel separating passages extending between said supply and discharge chambers and inclining towards said discharge chamber at an acute angle to the horizontal, each of said sets comprising a first separating passage and at least one second separating passage which are positioned at different heights, and

means defining a passage connecting said first and second separating passages of each set through which a separated portion of said mixture passes from one of said separating passages to the other, said connecting passage extending over substantially the entire length of said separating passages and having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of at least one of said separating passages so as to substantially isolate said separated portion in one of said separating passages from the turbulence of the flow in the other of said separating passages.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means defining said separating passages are arranged to define a plurality of vertically spaced sets of said separating passages and are further arranged so said first and second separating passages are respectively superposed to form a plurality of separate and alternate vertical rows of each.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said means defining said separating passages comprise oppositely directed open troughs which are arranged so the longitudinal edges thereof define said connecting passage.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the longitudinal edges of said troughs are mounted in spaced relationship so as to define the narrow flow passage therebetween.

5. A device according to claim 2 wherein the means defining said separating passages comprise vertically spaced and parallel corrugated plates which are arranged so the cross-sectional area defined between the superposed valleys and tops of adjacent plates are considerably larger than the cross-sectional area defined between a valley and a top of adjacent plates.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said means defining said separating passages are arranged so that the cross-sectional area of said separating passages gradually increases in one direction along the longitudinal axis thereof.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the direction of the cross-sectional area increase of one of said separating passages is opposite to that of the other of said separating passages.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means defining said separating passages are arranged to define the plurality of vertically spaced sets of said separating passages and are further arranged so that said first and second separating passages are obliquely superposed to form a plurality of separate and alternate rows of each which are arranged at an angle with respect to the vertical.

9. A device according to claim 8 including duct means connected at one end of said separating passage interconnecting the oblique rows of one of said separating passages in liquid communication.

10. A device according to claim 8 wherein the means defining said separating passages are vertically spaced and parallel corrugated means, said corrugated means being arranged so that the corresponding corrugations of two successive superposed corrugations are in close relationship with each other at one side and define a connecting passage between the top and valley thereof at the other side, and further includes a plurality of alternate guiding partitions which are connected to one end of said separating passages so that alternate of said guiding partitions respectively interconnect said corrugated means at points where the corrugations are closest to each other and cross corresponding connecting passages defined by said tops and valleys.

11. A device according to claim 8 wherein said first and second separating passages are conically converging and are arranged with opposite conicity so that, at one end of said assembly, the openings of the separating passages having a smaller cross-section are symmetrically surrounded by separating passages having openings with a larger cross-section; and

including a plurality of parallel, sloping guiding partitions connected to one end of said assembly and interconnecting passages having openings with the smaller cross-sectional area in liquid communication.

12. The device according to claim 1 wherein said separating passages are arranged to have rotational symmetry with respect to the central vertical axis of said basin.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein said means defining said separation passages are oppositely directed, open troughs with the troughs defining at least one of said separating passages being in a form of a truncated cone.

14. The device according to claim 12 including a cylindrical partition dividing said supply and discharge chambers, and a plurality of said separating assemblies having separating passages of the same length and arranged in said basin so the vertical planes intersecting the opposite ends thereof define co-axial cylinders. 

1. A device for separating heavier and lighter components of a mixture of substances including a carrier liquid comprising: a separation basin having a supply chamber into which the mixture to be separated is introduced and a discharge chamber separated from said supply chamber for collecting the lighter portion separated from said mixture; and at least one separation assembly, positioned in said basin between said supply chamber and said discharge chamber, through which said mixture flows to separate said components, said separation assembly including means defining at least one set of generally tubular and substantially parallel separating passages extending between said supply and discharge chambers and inclining towards said discharge chamber at an acute angle to the horizontal, each of said sets comprising a first separating passaGe and at least one second separating passage which are positioned at different heights, and means defining a passage connecting said first and second separating passages of each set through which a separated portion of said mixture passes from one of said separating passages to the other, said connecting passage extending over substantially the entire length of said separating passages and having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of at least one of said separating passages so as to substantially isolate said separated portion in one of said separating passages from the turbulence of the flow in the other of said separating passages.
 2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means defining said separating passages are arranged to define a plurality of vertically spaced sets of said separating passages and are further arranged so said first and second separating passages are respectively superposed to form a plurality of separate and alternate vertical rows of each.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said means defining said separating passages comprise oppositely directed open troughs which are arranged so the longitudinal edges thereof define said connecting passage.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the longitudinal edges of said troughs are mounted in spaced relationship so as to define the narrow flow passage therebetween.
 5. A device according to claim 2 wherein the means defining said separating passages comprise vertically spaced and parallel corrugated plates which are arranged so the cross-sectional area defined between the superposed valleys and tops of adjacent plates are considerably larger than the cross-sectional area defined between a valley and a top of adjacent plates.
 6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said means defining said separating passages are arranged so that the cross-sectional area of said separating passages gradually increases in one direction along the longitudinal axis thereof.
 7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the direction of the cross-sectional area increase of one of said separating passages is opposite to that of the other of said separating passages.
 8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means defining said separating passages are arranged to define the plurality of vertically spaced sets of said separating passages and are further arranged so that said first and second separating passages are obliquely superposed to form a plurality of separate and alternate rows of each which are arranged at an angle with respect to the vertical.
 9. A device according to claim 8 including duct means connected at one end of said separating passage interconnecting the oblique rows of one of said separating passages in liquid communication.
 10. A device according to claim 8 wherein the means defining said separating passages are vertically spaced and parallel corrugated means, said corrugated means being arranged so that the corresponding corrugations of two successive superposed corrugations are in close relationship with each other at one side and define a connecting passage between the top and valley thereof at the other side, and further includes a plurality of alternate guiding partitions which are connected to one end of said separating passages so that alternate of said guiding partitions respectively interconnect said corrugated means at points where the corrugations are closest to each other and cross corresponding connecting passages defined by said tops and valleys.
 11. A device according to claim 8 wherein said first and second separating passages are conically converging and are arranged with opposite conicity so that, at one end of said assembly, the openings of the separating passages having a smaller cross-section are symmetrically surrounded by separating passages having openings with a larger cross-section; and including a plurality of parallel, sloping guiding partitions connected to one end of said assembly and interconnecting passages having openingS with the smaller cross-sectional area in liquid communication.
 12. The device according to claim 1 wherein said separating passages are arranged to have rotational symmetry with respect to the central vertical axis of said basin.
 13. The device according to claim 12 wherein said means defining said separation passages are oppositely directed, open troughs with the troughs defining at least one of said separating passages being in a form of a truncated cone.
 14. The device according to claim 12 including a cylindrical partition dividing said supply and discharge chambers, and a plurality of said separating assemblies having separating passages of the same length and arranged in said basin so the vertical planes intersecting the opposite ends thereof define co-axial cylinders. 